Education Panel Prepping

The commission Gov. Bobby Jindal has charged to
guide Louisiana's colleges and universities through the lean budget
years to come could bring about substantial changes. Of course, the
Postsecondary Education Review Commission actually needs to start
meeting before that can happen. Created by the Louisiana Legislature in
July, the panel has met only once since then, but another set of
meetings will kick off this week. Stephen C. Smith, a member of
the commission who also serves as chairman of the Louisiana Community
and Technical College System's board of supervisors, says the
membership has been communicating and is prepared to have
recommendations ready for next year's legislative session. "We know
we've got a deadline to meet and if we need to meet every week to make
it happen, then believe me, we will work every week," Smith says. "I
think there's an extremely high level of interest in this commission. A
lot of people will be watching what's going on, and that's a good
thing." All of Louisiana's post-secondary schools will have to do more
with less, he adds. The state's five-year budget outlook forecasts a $1
billion shortfall in fiscal year 2011, which begins next July, and a $2
billion reduction in money for Louisiana government in fiscal year
2012. As a result, Jindal's education review commission will consider
ideas ranging from the mundane to the radical. For instance, state
Treasurer John Kennedy has suggested that the state should
create a single board for higher education. Louisiana has three
higher-ed systems — the LSU System, the Southern System and the
University of Louisiana System. Each has its own board of supervisors.
— Alford